You have probably heard time and again from your regular doctor about the importance of adding fiber to your diet, particularly as you get older. Much of the time, your doctor will recommend either fiber pills or powders that you dissolve in water or juice before drinking. However, you may find that the pills can be harsh on your digestive system and the fiber powders either have an unpleasant taste or gritty texture. Furthermore, if you are already looking toward an overall improvement in your diet, you may find it easier to simply add in more fiber to your regular diet than trying pills or powders.

Why should you increase your fiber intake, and what foods can you add into a healthy diet in order to do so? Here are some recommendations from Dr. Nathen Horst on ways to naturally add fiber into your diet that will improve your health in other ways as well.

How Can Fiber Improve Your Health?

First and foremost, increasing your dietary fiber will improve your digestion, particularly by decreasing your risk for constipation. It may also improve certain specific digestive disorders, such as diverticulitis, irritable bowel syndrome, or even colon cancer. Dietary fiber also has numerous cardiovascular benefits, including helping lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels (associated with diabetes).

Add Soluble and Insoluble Fiber to Your Diet

There are two types of dietary fiber: soluble and insoluble. Legumes such as peas and beans, oats, and fruits contain high amounts of soluble fiber, which help you feel full so that you don’t overeat. Whole grains and certain vegetables (such as kale, celery, and bell peppers) contain insoluble fiber, which helps with digestion. Dr. Horst recommends having a balance of both types of fiber in your diet.

Increase Your Water Intake As Well

Dietary fiber works by pulling water into the intestinal tract. If you are not adequately hydrated, the fiber can actually make your constipation worse by causing blockages of the GI tract. In order to prevent this, try to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. It is important to remember that other fluids, such as coffee or soda, can actually dehydrate you and make constipation worse.

Take It Slowly

One of the main benefits often cited for powder or laxative fiber solutions is that they work quickly. While that may seem to be beneficial, the truth is that what you might gain in speed you lose in terms of potential damage to your GI tract. Your digestive system requires a very delicate balance of microflora to process the food you eat. Unfortunately, harsh chemical fibers run the risk of upsetting this balance, which is why Dr. Horst feels it is preferable to slowly add in dietary fiber.

Adding dietary fiber is preferable to supplements, powders, or laxatives because there are added nutritional benefits from natural fiber sources. While it may take a bit longer to see improvement from an increase in dietary fiber, the long-term benefits are worth the wait.